Kenney So-Called Dollars - Before Hibler and Kappen!

Zoins

@WDP said:
I purchased the Ostheimer's So-Called Dollar Collection (which they had started in the 1950s when SCDs were labeled by "Kinney Numbers." This is the K number on the envelope above. They had over 700 different H&K numbers in this collection, including eight Lesher Dollars which I still have.

@WDP indicated So-Called Dollars were labeled by Kinney Numbers in the 1950s. This is the first time I heard of this and I haven't been able to find any info on this. Previously, the earliest catalog numbers I was aware of this was H&K in 1963.

What is Kenney's full name?

Anyone have the Kenney list and catalog, or even a reference to him?

Here's the original thread:

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/comment/11729594/#Comment_11729594

Update: correct spelling to Kenney from Kinney.

keets

I have a reprint from 1982, the original was Published in 1953 by Wayte Raymond with the title "So-Called Dollars" by Richard D. Kenney. I think I also have an original copy but it's stored away somewhere. both versions can be found on eBay and probably Amazon if you're patient.

Kenney starts with a Table of Contents, a brief introduction and then into the listed medals. the scope of events is limited, only around 30, and the number of listings is correspondingly lower, numbering only 181, most of which are pictured. after the listings Kenney skipped up to 201 and lists One Dollar Trade Tokens through 271.

the manual provides an interesting way to collect but is quite un-researched compared to Hibler/Kappen. for example, there are three listings for the World's Columbian Exposition. taken as a whole it was a good start.

WDP

@Zoins , I have a copy of Richard D. Kenney's So-Called Dollars. It just happens to be the Ostheimer's heavily annotated copy! It was published by Wayte Raymond, Inc. with a date of July-August, 1953 in New York. I got this copy from Mrs. Ostheimer approximately 17 years ago when I bought the Ostheimer Collection of So-Called Dollars from her.

Here is a photo of the cover and inside front cover pages, along with a heavily annotated (with notes) outside back cover page.

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Photos courtesy of W. David Perkins and W. David Perkins Numismatics

WDP

@Zoins , Here is an example of an annotated page in the Ostheimer copy of Richard D. Kenney's So-Called Dollars along with a page of plates of Pan Pac SCDs to go with the listings.
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Photos courtesy of W. David Perkins and W. David Perkins Numismatics

WDP

Here is the Ostheimer copy of the announcement of the new book on So-Called Dollars, this one by H. E. Hibler and C. V. Kappen. This book would replace the Kenney So-Called Dollar book. Note the last paragraph "AN INVITATION" requesting listings of medals "NOT LISTED IN KENNEY. The Ostheimers met with and corresponded with Hibler and contributed many new SCD listings in the first edition of Hibler and Kappen's So-Called Dollars. I also have much of the Ostheimer correspondence with Hibler on the new SCD book.

This announcement was published in 1961, with the target date for publication of the new book of December 31, 1961. The book was published in 1963.
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**Photo courtesy of W. David Perkins and W. David Perkins Numismatics. **

keets

nice historical documents.

Zoins

These are awesome David @WDP!

I hope Roger sees these to get more info on So-Called Dollar cataloging efforts earlier than Hibler and Kappen.

Also great to know that Bryan and Lesher dollars were established as So-Called Dollars with Richard D. Kenney.

Here's Kenney's biography from NNP:

https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/PersonDetail/1133

Richard D. Kenney
Biography

Date of Birth: 1918
Place of Birth: Brooklyn
Date of Death: 1957 - Mar - 4

Born in Brooklyn. Married with three sons. He served as a governor of the Central States Numismatic Society. In 1953 he joined the firm of James Incorporated, coin dealers in Louisville, Kentucky. Curator of Medals for the ANS 1946 to 1953.

Author of Struck Copies of Early American Coins in 1952. It was published by Raymond for CCJ #141. Author of So-called Dollars in 1953 and Early American Medalists and Die-sinkers in 1954 for CCJ #153.

He died of a heart attack at age 39 in Louisville, Kentucky.

obit: NUM 70 Apr 1957 pages 390-391; ANAHist 862

Source credit: Pete Smith, American Numismatic Biographies

This looks like his full name:

Richard David Dombroff Kenney

https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/richard-david-dombroff-kenney-24-bbsvbl?

Jimnight

keets

He died of a heart attack at age 39 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Zoins

@keets said:
He died of a heart attack at age 39 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Very sad. I hope his family was okay. He seems to have led a fairly full life in that short time.

If I had to guess, it looks like he moved from NY to Kentucky in 1953.

Being Curator of Medals for the ANS for 7 years is great position to be in for So-Called Dollars. I wonder if @JesseKraft can find any info on him?

tokenpro

Someone please refresh my memory -- was it the Coin & Currency Institute themselves that blew out all the remainders of the hardback 1st edition of Hibler & Kappen or was it someone else (Herb Melnick/NASCA or Johnson & Jenson keep popping into my mind). I remember ordering 20 H&K's and 10 copies of Neil MacNeil's catalog of Inaugural Medals for $80 + minimal postage and even at that price it took a while to get rid of all the H&K's (because everyone else & their son also ordered multiple copies).